11/23/08 - Low-Light Photography

Shooting in low light situations provides opportunities for creative photography. Yesterday morning I went down to Brant Rock at 5:00 with a vague idea of what I wanted to do. I wanted to use the low-light of pre-sunrise to allow an extremely slow shutter speed to convert the wave action into a milky smooth sea against the rocky jetty leading out to Brant Rock.

I set my tripod at the top of the stairs leading down from the sea wall to the beach, looking down onto the jetty. This particular image was shot at f/22 and 14 seconds and and ISO of 100. The result is an image that looks like it was taken an hour later (it was pretty dark at that moment), and the sea is smoothed out, creating a dramatic scene.



The next image was taken from the same vantage point, by turning the lens 90 degrees to the south. The objective was to leave the shutter open long enough to show the glow of the light reflecting off the seawall, while not over-exposing the ambient sunlight or the light in the windows. It was shot at f/22 and 17 seconds at ISO 100.



Finally, as the light brightened, I saw an opportunity to create what I hoped would be a dramatic black and white. f/22 and 6 seconds at ISO 100.

8/24/08 - The One That Got Away

Last weekend I was away on a camping excursion and found a beautiful clearing where the morning sun filtered through the trees, sending gorgeous rays of light down to the clearing floor which was a carpet of ferns. One morning, I woke at 5:30am and brought my camera, coffee, and a book to this spot so I could capture the changing effects of the light as the sun rose. At one point, I was down on hands and knees with a tripod photographing close-up shots of the fern. I was heavily engrossed in this for a while, and when I finally looked up, I found myself staring into the eyes of a doe and her fawn, less than 10 yards away. I suspect that, in the crouched position, they did not find me threatening. At that moment, I panicked... there is no other way to explain it. I could tell that they were now becoming alarmed and I had only seconds to grab a shot. Unfortunately, I forgot that I was programmed in at 1/4s for the fern shots, and this was way to slow for the deer shot.



Flashback a couple of months ago.... I was taking a 2-day workshop on Documentary Photography. Both days, we were assigned with the task of walking around Boston capturing entriguing images of people that told a story. We were not allowed to ask permission to take the shots, we were just suppose to see the opportunity and make the best image we could. Frankly, I found this difficult.

So, what's the lesson? My photography leans more towards the "fine art" category. I like to immerse myself in a scene with tripod and cable release, taking in what is around me and taking my own sweet time about figuring out what I want to "say" with the image and figuring out the best way to do so. As a result, I am not accustomed
to making quick decisions with composition and camera settings when it is called for. I never realized this until the afore-mentioned workshop and this was reinforced when I missed the deer shot. Apparently, I need to spend more time with "quick-shot" opportunities.

8/8/08 - A Tourist in Oregon, Part IV

Ok... so Mt Rainier is in Washington, not Oregon... close enough. Toward the end of the week, we drove the few hours up to Rainier to spend the night and do a little hiking the next day. However, even at the end of June there was still 10 feet of snow at the upper elevations, so instead of hiking, we sledded.

The images for this section were all taken in low-light situations (dusk and dawn). They are of a section of the Nisqually river as it flows by near the Cougar Rock Campground, where we stayed. The source of the Nisqually River is the Nisqually Glacier that works it's way down Mt. Rainier.


The intent of this shot was to make use of the low-light to allow me to use a slow enough shutter speed in order to capture the flow of the river, while maintaining the color in the sky as the sun set behind the trees. I did have to perform some doding and burning to bring out details and color that was otherwise lost in the dusk.


This image was shot shortly after the previous image. The same approach was used.


This image, with Rainier in the background, was taken at dusk. It was a little tricky because the mountain is in the full sun, while the forground is still in shade. Therefore, the background has a yellow hue, while the forground is blue.

8/7/08 - A Tourist in Oregon, Part III

The dramatic change between the lush Columbia Gorge and the High Desert is sudden and almost hard to believe. One moment your in green forests with cascading waterfalls and suddenly your in dry, arrid country with nothing but sand and sage.

We timed it so that we reached the desert in the late afternoon so the sun was low and the lighting more suitable for dramatic desert shots.


For this shot, I used a polarizing filter to bring out the blue in the sky, to contrast against the light green sage bush and the the yellow black-eyed susans. The shadow under the bush helps give the image some depth.


This was one of the last shots I took on this particular day. The sun had nearly reached the horizon from my left, casting an orange glow over the landscape, and deep shadows for detail. In this case, I had to use the polarizer to prevent the sky from seeming to be blown-out. I was able to get just enough blue to save the image.

8/6/08 - A Tourist in Oregon, Part II

It is probably a cliche to photograph the waterfalls of the Columbia Gorge, but there is good reason why everyone does it... They are simply stunning. On this particular day, it started out overcast and drizzly. I was able to take advantage of these conditions to produce, what I think are, moody images.


Multnomah Falls is one of the more popular falls to visit in the Gorge. However, I was lucky enough to have arrived early enough to time a shot without herds of tourists standing around. My goal for this shot was to show the flow and height of the falls while also presenting the lush vegetation and dramatic cliffs on either side of them. I shot this at a slow shutter speed to capture the fall as one continuous flow. I did have to do some burning and dodging to get the details in the rocks.


It's apparent why these are called Ponytail Falls. I placed my wife behind the falls to provide a perspective for just how tall the falls are.


This image was capture by standing behind Ponytail Falls. My goal was to show the power of the falls as contrasted by an otherwise peaceful forest setting.

7/25/08 - A Tourist in Oregon, Part I

This years major family vacation was a trip out to Oregon to visit my sister and her boyfriend. I have to say that I was overwhelmed by the photo opportunities. One of the more successful was at Manzanita on the coast. I found the lighting in the morning and the evening to be superb because of the moisture in the air that is trapped by the high elevations along the coast.

What I first noticed when I saw this scene was how the early morning light gave a sense that the washed-up tree was glowing. This was enhanced by the deepened shadows in the branches and the blue sky in the background. I set up the shot so that the shadow in the sand created a leading line from the lower left of the frame to the main subject (the tree). I was also careful to try and balance the scene by bringing the horizon down to the lower third of the frame. To much beach and I think the scene would have been over-weighted with yellow. I also like the somewhat similar patterns of the divots in the sand and the clouds in the sky.

This image is all about leading lines, patterns, and balance of color. It was taken shortly after the image above. However, by this time the sun was hidden behind clouds, casting a blue'ish hue over the scene. The scene is made interesting by utilizing repeating "S" curves (the waterline) to visually keep the viewer engaged in the scene instead of leading them out.

It is very difficult to pull-off a sunset picture and have the sunset be the main focal point. Typically, the scene will not be interesting enough to stand on it's own. One way around this is to include something else in the scene that gives perspective to the sunset. In this case, the dead tree provides some visual interest and context to the scene. I intentionally waited until the sun was partially hidden behind a cloud. This reduced the amount of light and gave the sun more shape (instead of just a blast of light), while also reducing the contrast between the forground and the background, allowing me to get a little bit of detail in the darker foreground.

Taking a shot at an angle to a setting sun (i.e. not including the sun), can provide dramatic colors and a less contrasty scene than shooting directly at it.

Here is another example of including another subject with a sunset. This image is about tonal variations and repeating patterns (striations in the clouds and the driftwood)

6/13/2008 - BAY FARM PERSPECTIVE

BAY FARM PERSPECTIVE

There are very few opportunities to capture an image such as this on the South Shore, these days. However, at Bay Farm in Kingston, this isolated tree sits in the middle of the field that was once a prosperous farm.

6/12/2008 - WISTERIA IN MONOTONE

WISTERIA IN MONOTONE

This abstract B&W is of the Wisteria that's crawling iver the arbor entrance to my garden area. There is something about the image that I find intriguing. It's almost like a Japanese ink painting.

5/30/2008 - Flattered or Annoyed

Flattered or Annoyed

I captured this womens expression while wandering through Haymarket Square. I watched her timidly working behind the stand, meeting the demands of her customers, while trying to keep warm on this particularly frosty day. She looked up moments before I took her picture and I'm not sure if she was flattered or annoyed.

5/28/08 - Urban Shoot

This past weekend I joined-up with a group from the Boston Photography Center for a Urban walk/shoot around the Fort Point section of the City.

5/27/2008 -Voted "People's Choice"

I am flattered and honored that "Passing Through - Daniel Webster Sanctuary" was voted "People's Choice" at this years North River Arts Festival.

5/9/2008 - A Fresh Coat

A Fresh Coat


I think I like the story behind this image as much as the image itself. While cycling from Canada to Norwood, MA last year, we stopped at a small filling station in Northern VT for a quick break. This barn was across the street and the "old-timer" sitting in front of the filling station informed us that the 70+ year old owner of the barn climbed up the ladder every day and painted about 6 sq ft more before going back down to take a nap.

4/24/2008 - Humpback Whales off Race Point

My family and I went down to P-Town on Monday to see the Right Whales that were reported to be mingling around down there. Apparently, there were close to 80 of them hanging around Race Point earlier in the week. When we got down there, we were disappointed to find a few people standing on the dunes with binoculars oohing and
ahhing over the barely perceptable water shoots of a couple of whales way off in the distance.

We drove around to various spots trying to find a better vantage point to no avail. Then an older local woman divulged a local secret (to which I am sworn to secrecy... unless a $100 should find it's way to my palm). The locals know of a spot where whales are often found, but it requires trudging three miles over the dunes and through a salt marsh to get to it. We got lucky since the tide was on it's way down,
and the marsh was dry. It was more like walking through a desert.


When we finally got to the beach, there were no whales to be seen. But, the beach was really nice so we hung out for a while and let the girls play in the water. Finally, Lisa decided to go around the bend of the beach. I heard her scream 5 minutes later and looked up to see a huge back coming out of the water only 100 yds off shore.


For the next half-hour we had a private performance put on by a couple of Humpback Whales within easy swimming distance of the shore (yes, I was tempted). It was pretty amazing.

4/25/2008 - Palette of Colors

Palette of Colors

One summer day after work, I stopped by the Pembroke Herring Run to see if there was anything interesting to photograph. When I got there, the parking lot was full and a group from the North River Arts Society had their easels setup and working in pastels. This particular image of one of the artists box of pastels is my favorite from the day. I like how the pastels are arranged to create a sort of spectrum range of color. What initially appears as box of arbitraty pastels quickly becomes relatively organized and not haphazard at all.

4/15/2008 - Full Moon Rising on Cedar Point

Full Moon Rising on Cedar Point

While attending a function across the bay from Cedar Point, I looked out the large plate glass window that overlooks the Bay and noticed a huge full moon coming up over the horizon of the Atlantic. Since things were wrapping up, I herded my family into the Jeep and drove over to Cedar Point Light. I took a bunch of shots that night. However, this one was captured as I was heading back to the Jeep and was taken without a tripod. I really didn't think it was going to come out, but I was pleasantly surpised by the results. Thank goodness for Image Stability.

This is probably one of those images that means more to me than to anyone else because of how it was captured. As a result of not using a tripod, the image is a little blurry in places. However, it is not significantly obvious and actually compliments the moodiness of the scene.

4/14/2008 - The worth of Art

I have been wanting to see the photography exhibit of Dorothy Kerper Monnelly called "The Great Marsh". So on saturday I went into the city to check out the Panopticon Gallery located in the Commonwealth Motel in Kenmore Square.

Ms. Kerper Monnelly's work is very nice, but I was taken aback by the asking price of her prints (in some cases $1200 for just the print... you pay more to have it matted and framed). I am by no means an art collector, nor do I claim to understand this particular niche. But, $1200 for something that can be readily reproduced without a great deal of effort is tough for me to fathom. That said, I am aware that some photographic prints fetch a great deal more than this in the market. As a photographer, I appreciate that much of what one is paying for is the skill required to capture and finish the image. But, still...

Now, let's look at this from the opposite angle. To get to Kenmore Square, I decided to walk Newbury Street from the Park Street station and check out some of the art galleries. Now, I know art is subjective and everyone has their own tastes in what they like, but in my subjective opinion... there is a lot of crap out there.

Here's one example. I walked into the 3rd floor Newbury Street gallery and all I saw were squares. Everywhere.... squares. There were approximately 10 paintings all hung like they were to be admired and gauked at. But, the truth is that I wouldn't hang them on my fridge. I don't know for sure the medium in which this artist works, but it appeared to me to be oils and tape. It was as if he laid out various squares on canvas with tape, overlaid the entire canvas with paint, then removed the tape after the paint dried. And every piece was based on the same principle. Different colors and layout of squares, but...

Another example was at another gallery where the artist made very large paintings that were very geometrically balanced and seemed like they could have been done with oversized ink stamping kits like my daughters use. An example would be something like a flat red sky, green land (1/3 up) and far over to the right, flush with the horizon line, a square house with a triangle roof. Oh, but then the real selling quality of this art is apparently the fact that she dips the entire piece in some sort of clear plastic or latex and allows the large drip marks to remain at the bottom of the piece. You may ask why. Not to worry, the artist displays a written statement that explains that her work portrays the greed and despair of mankind (or something to that effect).

Now, one could argue forever whether these examples qualify as "art". My opinion (not that it matters) is that in all cases, it does. Somebody took the effort to produce something that was meaningful to them and we have to assume some of their heart and soul went into it.

My question is, what is this art really worth? In each case, the asking prices for the various pieces were in the thousands. Is anyone REALLY paying that for this kind of work? I suppose somebody is, but then I have to ask.... why? I suspect there is a bit of "Emperor's New Clothes" syndrome going on in the Art community. It's expensive, so it must be good. It will be interesting what collectors will be getting for this work in 100 years.

But, maybe I'm just jealous that nobody is writing me a $1k check for my work. I think I need to bump up my prices.

4/11/2008 - WAYWARD BUSH - SCITUATE RESERVOIR

WAYWARD BUSH - SCITUATE RESERVOIR

The Scituate Reservoir was created by flooding a large section of wooded land. There are times in the summer when the water is down and you can still see the large stumps of the trees that met their fate many years ago, as a result. However, one persistant bush remains. Standing in the middle of the reservoir, it is a strange sight when you drive by.

For a while, I was passing this bush twice a day on my daily commute to work. Often the lighting and/or atmosphere were such that I kicked myself for not having my camera. Finally, one evening in October my timing was on and I had my camera with me to be able to take this shot during peak foliage. The sun was setting behind me, and lit up the scene beautifully. There was little wind so the tree reflected nicely off the water.

I like this image because of it's simplicity, the contrast of bright colors, and the moodiness of the scene.

4/10/2008 - Printing

I must confess... I am now a "Do your own printing" convert. Until this point, my feeling was that the cost to buy a quality photo printer and keeping it supplied with ink and paper out-weighed the benefits of printing ones own work. The fact was that I had found a finishing lab that I was very happy with.

However, I've been reading a great deal of material on photographers who do their own printing and I found myself smittened by the idea. I did some research and decided that the HP9180 was within my budget. I spent much of last weekend calibrating my new purchase with my monitor and with Photoshop CS3. I had heard good things about Hahnemuhle Smooth Fine Art paper, so had included a couple of boxes with my printer order (at $80 per box of 25 the stuff ain't for snapshots). I was amazed at the quality of my prints... especially the B&W's. The blacks are very close to black and the tones of grey were extremely nice. More over, I found a greater sense of depth than even the prints from the lab (an outfit many pro's use).

I'm still testing papers and ICC profiles, but thus far I am very pleased.

4/3/2008 - Temptation

Temptation

A photographic cliche'?.... yeah, probably. A great composition?... probably not. However, this is one of those images that I find I can study repeatedly and am drawn to because of it's simplicity. Hopefully, others are drawn to it as well.

4/2/2008 - "Beatin' the Summer Heat"

Beatin' the Summer Heat

Two years have passed and I STILL smile every time I look at this image. My daughter had no reservations about using a large plastic bucket for an improvised pool. I absolutely love the facial expression.

I did a bit of dodging and burning to get the tones I wanted. The image has also been cropped from the original. I don't think I would change anything else. This one is a keeper... at least for me.